Travel Stories Week 11

Meglio Vivere

What's your favorite place you have visited?

Last year I lived in Tbilisi, Georgia for 3 months, and although there are many places that I really loved visiting and living in, I have to say that Georgia quickly became one of my favourite countries that I have visited so far. It's just so unique there and has such a vibrant and lively feel to it. What I really like about it is that it seems to have still retained a lot of the old Georgian way of life. It doesn't feel too much like a modern European capital city (I mean that in a good way!).

I met many great people there, and of course, Georgian food is pretty awesome. I can't wait to return to the country and see the other parts that I didn't get the chance to visit the first time around.

What’s the best thing you have seen while travelling?

Woah, there's so many cool things really. It's hard to pin down just one. If I really had to say one thing, then I guess that I'll plump for the Northern Lights. I lived in Finnish Lapland for almost two years, and seeing the Northern Lights is just so special EVERY TIME. It's really hard to describe them to someone who has never seen them before, and photos never do them justice. You've got to get up there and see them for yourself!

What’s your best travel story?

Again, I have several to choose from. I suppose my most unique story is that I lived and worked with the indigenous people of Lapland - the Sami people - as a reindeer herder for 2 winters. This was way up in the most northern part of Finland in the empty Lappish wilderness. There was nothing around for miles. Just lots of trees and lots of reindeer.

I was working as a husky dog trainer a little bit further south in Lapland for a while, and I heard about a Sami family who wanted some help with their reindeer. So, I messaged them, and they told me to come as soon as I could.

The experience was incredible. We were out with the reindeer in temperatures that sometimes surpassed -40! Many Sami families make their living by herding reindeer and selling their meat (and other body parts). As well as the reindeer herding, I had to also help with the slaughtering and butchering. I love animals, but I also eat meat, so I'm not squeamish about getting involved in things like that.

I learned so much about the Sami way of life and about reindeer. Unforgettable!

Tell us about your blog

My blog is called 'Meglio Vivere'. This is Italian, and it means 'It's better to live'. It's part of a famous saying. My ethos is that there are so many experiences out there waiting for us, and every second we're not chasing them down, we're missing out on them. My life goal is to travel to and volunteer in as many countries as possible. This way, I not only see the world, but I also play a part in improving it and raising awareness about issues.

There are more than 190 countries in the world, each with their own unique flag. Each week we show you 9 flags from around the world and we simply ask you to tell us which country that flag belongs to.

Subscribe to our mailing list

subscribe to be the first to know when we have a new blog post for your reading pleasure!

Email Address

We respect your privacy, and promise to never send you spam. If the tribe isn’t for you then that’s cool. The option to opt-out is available in every email we send to you.